Happy as a …

“Don’t touch that squirrel’s clams! It’ll make him crazy!
~ Willy Wonka (if he were talking about mollusks)

by http://www.stickycomics.com/happy_clams

ITALIAN LESSON: clam = vongola

Just a random thought: I just uttered the words “happy as a clam” and then wondered, why are clams so damn happy anyway?

Perhaps it’s because they enjoy living in the deep blue sea and cavorting with mermaids. It appears they have a no-stress attitude, like “ya eat me, ya eat me” kind of mentality (if they even have a brain), and I’m sure they’re good friends with SpongeBob and his crew.

Hey, when you can yell “EAT IT RAW!!!” to someone and stand behind the statement 100%, that’s pretty funny to me.

BONUS ITALIAN LESSON: TO CLAM UP = Fare scena muta

Consider this a WIKI of sorts — here’s what I dug up on clams: It’s been suggested that open clams give the appearance of smiling, but the derivation is more likely to come from the fuller version of the phrase, “happy as a clam at high tide,” since high tide is when clams are free from predators.

The phrase originated in the north-eastern states of the USA in the early 19th century. The earliest citation is from a frontier memoir called “The Harpe’s Head – A Legend of Kentucky” c. 1833.

So, who or what in your life makes you feel “happy as a clam”? Don’t worry, I won’t make you say it!